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The Rice Thresher
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To the editor: I am writing because lately there have been accusations against the students at the forefront of the minority flight discussion. They have been accused of being narrow-minded, wanting to live secluded within their own culture and practicing reverse discrimination. I do not feel this is true and strongly disagree with the claims made by Jackson Lee and Jonathan Mendez in two letters in a recent issue of the Thresher ("Discussion on race ignores key issues," "Forcing diversity not necessary, misguided," March 23). Contrary to what they believe, race is still a pertinent issue in this country and one that should be discussed more often. Ignoring racism will not construct a colorblind society; instead, it will enlarge the problem. Ideally, race would not matter in our daily lives, but realistically, it affects everything we do. However, whether or not racism is extant is not the issue. I desire to refute the claim that minorities who feel uncomfortable at Rice are merely so because they are not opening up to other cultures. Minorities live in a world dominated by mainstream culture and the status quo. We do not need lessons to cope with the majority world because we live in it daily. Members of the student body are simply initiating a discussion to discover the reasons minorities move off campus. If it is because they feel uncomfortable, then something must be done to solve the problem. We do not want to live secluded in an area with people who look like us; we want to be incorporated in the colleges we live in and we want our experiences to be heard. Rice is a diverse place, but work has to be done so that it can reflect that diversity. We all have to learn to live in a multicultural world instead of asking people to assimilate into mainstream society.
Mayra Cuello Lovett sophomore
'Gay' is not an epithet To the editor: The following e-mail was recently sent to the Student Association listserv: "Fuck the damn mother fucker who keeps sending out the romeo virus. U little fuckin prick, if i ever find out who you are i will fucking break your neck with my own hands, you damn mother fucker. May you burn in hell for eternity, you gay, useless piece of shit fuckhead." Clearly, this message is inappropriate, particularly considering that it was sent to a listserv intended for the entire undergraduate student body. The language of the e-mail is offensive and violent and could possibly violate the Code of Student Conduct. But the author's use of the word "gay" as a derogatory epithet sparked debate on the Pride listserv. Some Pride members were deeply hurt, while others said it's useless to get so upset. We decided that it is most constructive to use this as an opportunity to open a dialogue about homophobic speech, particularly given the ongoing discussion in the colleges about diversity. The word "gay" appears as one of several epithets tossed out in a moment of pique. An outward expression of an inward thought, it was directed at the entire world (or at least the SA listserv) to relieve the author's anger. But what upset Pride members is that, in the author's mind, calling someone "gay" was derogatory enough to encapsulate a piece of his anger. Those of us who identify as gay feel hurt because we know that being gay is not a bad thing - it just is. Too often, people thoughtlessly use the word "gay" to demean individuals; we have a responsibility as a community - as Rice students - to confront this sort of homophobic speech when it occurs. Ask yourselves: "Do I equate being 'gay' with being 'a mother fuckin' . useless piece of shit?'" If the answer is yes, ask why. Think of your friends who, perhaps unbeknownst to you, are gay. Do you think of them in this light? Put a face on the question and see how it reads. That is all we ask.
Pride Executive Committee, 2001-'02
Jones demands discredit all students To the editor: I am writing in response to the list of demands given by the Jones College Compensation Committee that appeared in the Thresher two weeks ago (box accompanying "Jones' reimbursement request denied," March 23). Sometimes you have to suck it up and deal with the situation around you. But at the same time, you can make many of these things happen yourself. The university agreed to do many of the things you asked for for Hanszen College just because I (as Hanszen president) nicely asked them to, not because I submitted a bitchy list of demands. And in case you are wondering, yes, I do think we should be compensated as much, and actually even more, than Jones students. So, to respond some of your demands: The Q&A session - Hello? David Rodd's e-mail address is djrodd@rice.edu. Ask. And maybe if you are lucky (like we were), the architect from Boston will be in town to present the plans to you. The letter of apology - Hell, you know they aren't good at this. (I'm still waiting for an apology about the KTRU shutdown.) And what are they going to do? Apologize for giving you more and better rooms? Try being at a college where the noise has been waking you up for over a year and a half, a year longer than at Jones. Complete the commons by 2002 - Oh wait, I forgot, President Malcolm Gillis controls the weather. They are already putting every resource possible into finishing the north side construction on time. Rebuild the Jones deck - Again, ask. We are getting back the barbecue pit that we built and paid for, and Food and Housing has worked with us to get our volleyball court back (except Wiess didn't want it). Unfortunately, our back deck is gone, so instead we have a brand new patio to overlook the intramural fields. Find ways to incorporate what you are missing into what they are building. More parking - Let me say that your 32 spaces are more than our 25. You have more parking and fewer people. Dedication ceremony - Rice is big on ceremonies, and again all you had to do was ask nicely. Senior Dinner - I'd like one, too, thank you! Insurance - Hey, your stuff is here at your own risk. Houston has 4 million people, some of whom are bad and like to steal things. One complaint that actually has merit is background checks on the construction workers. Since they can see into my window while I'm asleep, I'd like them to be halfway decent people. No construction during finals - Again, a simple "please" works wonders for this. In short, I think you guys are being selfish little whiners instead of being civil and responsible. Instead of talking to the people in charge, you feel that making a list of demands is the best way to get things done. Do what you will, but actions like this make all students seem like immature and selfish 10-year-olds. Thanks.
Lindsay Germano Hanszen senior 2000-'01 Hanszen president
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